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Crab Fashion

Spongy Decorator Crab (Marcocoeloma trispinosum)

The spongy decorator crab (Marcocoeloma trispinosum) takes expert care in snipping off pieces of living sponge and attaching them to its carapace (exoskeleton shell). Detritus and debris are added for additional camouflaging effect. This particular crab has taken the decoration to the next level by including some spectacular zoanthids (Zoanthus sp.) into its design. As you can imagine, the crab was living amongst a colony of the same zoanthid morph, rendering it nearly impossible to detect. Furthermore, decorator crabs move very slowly and deliberately, quite unlike the unpredictable scurry of most other crabs. The purposeful addition of camouflaging marine life to the body of this crab highlights the evolution and subconscious intelligence of  ‘tool-use’ at such a ‘primitive’ level in the animal kingdom.

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3 Responses to “Crab Fashion”

  1. IronForge x Surfer Blood POSTER Says:

    […] an image of a decorator crab from our friends Coral Morphologic, the poster will be pressed on thick light blue stock with […]

  2. Decorator crab captured stealing zoos from Coral Morphologic Says:

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  3. Seaweeds are very useful things! | biologytheedge Says:

    […] Images: Chowder Bay Images – http://www.harbourtrust.gov.au/visit-our-sites/photo-gallery/; http://www.mudgeediveandtravel.com/next_trip_course_12.html Sea dragon – http://greenbuzzz.net/environment/coral-reefs-35-beautiful-species-to-adore/ Decorator Crab – http://coralmorphologic.com/b/2009/09/10/crab-fashion […]

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